Graphene is not human and environmental friendly

Graphene has always been considered a magic material and so far there has been a lot of scientific research to exploit graphene to apply in life. Despite the characteristics of a metamaterial, researchers have recently discovered that graphene is not environmentally friendly and human.

As known, graphene consists of single atomic carbon layers, which are very light, very hard but extremely flexible and have high thermal / electrical conductivity. Graphene's properties bring about the revolutionary technology potential in many areas. Therefore, graphene is always considered a magic material.

However, only 10 years since graphene was first successfully built in the laboratory, researchers and many industries have spent no less money to exploit this material in a variety of applications. trade. Meanwhile, few investors invest in investigating its potential negative impacts.

PhD student Jacob D Lanphere held a sample of graphene oxide in his hand

Two recent studies have given us another insight into graphene. In the first study, a group of biologists, engineers and materials scientists at Brown University tested graphene's potential toxicity on human cells. What they discovered was the jagged edges of super-sharp and super-hard graphene nanoparticles that could easily pierce the cell membrane in human lungs, skin, and immune cells . Thereby, graphene has the potential to cause heavy damage to humans and animals.

Robert Hurt, a professor of biological engineering and one of the study authors, said: "These materials can be inhaled inadvertently or they can be injected or implanted into the body in the form of "We want to better understand how they interact with cells once they are inside the body."

The second study by the Bourns School of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) examines the interoperability of graphene oxide nanoparticles with the environment if they enter surface or groundwater sources. In conclusion, in surface water sources such as lakes or rivers where there are more organic and less harsh materials, graphene oxide nanoparticles hold high stability and show a tendency to move further. , namely down to the surface.

Therefore, only a small amount of graphene oxide nanoparticles can show potential harm to organic materials, plants, aquatic organisms, animals and humans . The affected area can quickly spread and it will take a long time to be safe again.

Microscopic images (2 microns) show the lower corner of a piece of graphene puncturing the cell membrane - mechanical properties such as sharp edges and sharp corners can cause graphene to endanger human cells.

Study co-author Jacob D. Lanphere said: "The case today is similar to the case we encountered about chemistry and pharmacology 30 years ago. We just don't know much about what happens. "When these digitized nanomaterials get into soil or water, we need to be proactive with the available data to promote sustainable applications of this technology in the future."

At the current stage, the material safety report to direct the use of graphene in the industry has not been completed. This report lists a variety of potential irritants in the skin and eyes as well as the potential dangers of inhaling or swallowing graphene. Information on the cancer-causing effects or toxicity of graphene is not yet available.

However, Brown University researchers point out that this is a material still in development and a human-made material. So at this early stage, there are still many opportunities to test and learn about the dangerous characteristics of graphene and offer technical methods. We have only a few years left before graphene is ready to appear more in life, so the challenge for professionals is how to make it as safe as possible for us and their planet. me.

Brown's research has just been published online on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and UC Riverside University's research has also been published in the journal Environmental Engineering Science.